A new sign at Red Beard Cafe on Kamloops' North Shore has a vintage look.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Red Beard Cafe
March 26, 2024 - 12:02 PM
A popular cafe on Kamloops’ North Shore has a new retro neon sign that reads "Keep it Loopy" in blue, gold and pink.
The glowing sign at Red Beard Cafe is part of an initiative by Tourism Kamloops and the City of Kamloops that began last fall to illuminate the streets with a total of seven lit up installations.
Each installation has a unique design ranging from artistic murals to interactive light and audio experiences.
The neon sign at Red Beard is the first installation with a retro-style design.
“We just thought the design embraces both the quirky, artsy culture and the blue collar charm on the North Shore,” Nic Zdunich with Tourism Kamloops said.
“We thought with Red Beard being a good representative of the community it would be a perfect fit.”
The groovy sign design was made by a graphic artist with the tourism organization and the sign was built in the Lower Mainland.
“We’re getting good public feedback on the sign and the other installations around the city,” Zdunich said. “We’re trying to add more vibrancy to the downtown and North Shore.”
READ MORE: Patios coming back to downtown Kamloops
In a bygone era, the downtown streets of Kamloops and cities throughout the Okanagan Valley were lit up with neon signs, however throughout the 1950s and 1960s the signs slowly faded away as technology advanced and more cost-effective lighting became available.
Traditional neon signs were lit up with gasses and Zdunich isn’t clear what materials the new installation is made of, however, it still lends the same nostalgic glow that so many people still love today.
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